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Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Years Eve morning was the Dash Into the New Year 5k, the last race of 2011. As I mentioned in my previous post, 2011 was a year full of ups and downs so I was hoping to end on a strong note. To get pumped for the big event, we watched the Tosh.0 Marathon which was hilarious in so many ways. If you haven't yet seen it, please do so. I'm telling you, you won't regret it.

At arrival at the Matteson community center about a 1/2 hour before the race, the staff was very helpful at directing us where we needed to go. We received the swag bag complete with race bib and shirt. The shirt is black, long sleeved, and dry fit. I haven't tried it on yet, but I already like it. I have so many long sleeved t-shirts, it is nice to have an actual long sleeved dry fit shirt.

Once in the gym/waiting area, a DJ was playing some tunes to get us pumped up. I really liked this aspect as there is nothing like a little LMFAO to get you going! I knew a few of my other bloggerfriends were running this race and I ran into them beforehand to say hi! I also met another new running friend as well! I did a quick warmup with Kate's TNT friends and continued to stay warm in the gym.

Kate, Kate, and I with our virtual 5k bibs

The start line was right outside and this was definitely a perk to this race. I took a quick glance at the race map ahead of time (as it wasn't posted on the website or anything) to get a feel for the course. I was going to attempt to run "tangents" as I haven't yet tried that method. There wasn't a timing chip so I tried to get close to the front before the gun went off. I was going to try for a 7:30 pace to start and learn from my mistake of going out too fast.

The gun went off and I started with Maggie and Amanda in front of me. There was an unanticipated hill about 1/2 mile in so I tried to keep a steady pace up the hill. Mile 1: 7:37. My garmin was SPOT ON with the 1st mile marker. I have faith in technology whenever that happens. We went around for a bit and completed a loop in the neighborhood. At about mile 1.5, I passed Amanda and saw Maggie still ahead. Competing with a friend always make races more fun for me, I don't know about you guys! I knew that big hill was going to have to be conquered again, but not yet. Mile 2: 7:36. Soon after this mile marker, I knew the hill was coming. I kept telling myself "what hill?" as many times as I could. By the time it was over, I was ready for the decline. After the hill, the end was in our site. HOWEVER, there was one more loop to go before the end. It definitely was a little tricky, mentally. Maggie and I had been neck-and-neck during the last mile switching spots with one another. When I turned the corner, mile 3 was complete (7:48) with only 0.1 left to go. The wheels were turning and I saw the clock. The 23's were starting so I knew I wouldn't get that PR. I kept pushing to that finish line and ended it in 23:40. I was pretty happy with the time overall. I can't PR every race! Maggie finished strong in 23:41, just 1 second behind me. She PRed and I am happy for her!

After the race was done, we hung around and cheered on some friends finishing up soon behind us before heading into the gym. The post race food was amazing with clementines, bananas, little water bottles, and little Gatorades (various flavors). Considering this was an inaugural race, I was quite impressed. The big thing missing was water on the course. Even though it was a winter race and dehydration isn't a huge issue, it is still nice to rice out your mouth or grab a quick sip.

After munching on 6 clementines, it was time for the awards. The awards were given for 1st overall, and then to 1st and 2nd place in each age group (of 10... mine was 20-29). I placed 2nd in my age group!

Close up of this photo to come (once I can find it)

I was really excited and got another age group medal! :) These 2 medals in the month of December have gotten the taste of winning in my mouth. I think I might end up completing more than 12 races in 2012. :)

Amanda also won for her age group so we took a photo together for our running club, the FN Runers. Overall, it was a great day and a race I would love to do again next year!

Amanda (TTF) and I, wearing our medals. Kate photobombing in back.

Happy New Years fellow bloggers and readers! Cheers to another year in the books and high hopes for the new year to come!!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Yesterday working from home went well, and I was able to get some stuff done. As a "late lunch," I decided to meet up with Kate and Susan from the FNRC. Kate is training for the Polar Dash and had 11 miles to complete. I met her part way for 4 miles and then ran a cool down 0.9 miles back to the car. Overall distance was 4.9 miles in 42:14 (average of 8:37 per mile). I was pretty happy with the pace as I haven't done very many speedy runs this week.

Tomorrow is the Matteson 5k that I'm very excited about. I'm going to try and break into the 22 minute category (last 5k was 23:03).

In the spirit of the new year, I've made a list of things accomplished in 2011 and goals for 2012. My mail goal for 2011 was to finish the Chicago Marathon. Things didn't workout as planned (which I've brought up a billion times), but I still got the medal!

I think these goals are achievable and I plan on using Daily Mile to help keep track of the miles and cross training, along with Athlinks to keep track of the races.

In OTHER NEWS... Toph and I are officially registered for the Warrior Dash 2012! I'm so excited as this is the first race we will both be doing, ever. He's not into races so I'm excited for us to complete this together. Obviously, the plan is to run faster than him. :)

Have you written out your goals yet for 2012? How do you plan on keeping track of them?

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Yesterday I worked from home and was able to multi-task while also doing things around the house. I'm really hating the "Outlook" app that defaults in the internet browser. I can't seem to get anything done! I might have to go into the office a bit tomorrow to update my time card since I can't do it from home. :(

Since I was around, I was able to meet up with FNRC for their weekly Wednesday run at 5pm. Since Pepper was bored, she came too! (Photo credit: Maggie at Run for Pi(e))

From Left to Right: Megan, Jeni, me, Pepper, and Maggie

We finished 4.0 miles in 38:33 with an average pace of 9:38. That includes stop for traffic and the turnaround. I tried out my homemade ponytail hat (crafty idea courtesy of RFP) and it worked out perfectly. I felt good (no ankle issues) and the dog did a really good job!! She didn't start off super fast like usual so it was a lot easier to keep a steady pace. She even had on her blinking light too! I also got to see how the infamous Knuckle Lights operate and I must say that I was impressed. However, I'm not sure how they would work if I am also holding a leash.

After the run, I went to the movies and saw New Years Eve. It was cute but kind of celebrity overload. There were so many different storylines going on, I wasn't really a fan. However, I now want to see Valentine's Day just because. :) The hardest I laughed at the whole movie was at the Muppets reminder to turn off your cell phone. I was literally laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. My 2 SILs weren't as amused as I was.

As I previously mentioned, I participated in a few virtual races on Christmas Eve (a 10k and 5k). I didn't win a prize for the 5k, HOWEVER.... I did win a prize for the 10k! Steph at Run for Fun worked with a few other bloggers to put on this race. The prizes were donated and I ended up winning best dressed (tied with another runner) for this ensemble.

I'm sure you're wondering "Kelly! Where did you find such a fantastic outfit?? That sweater is amazing!" My response is simple. I always like to stay up-to-date with the latest fashions. That is why I always pick up the finest Christmas attire at the thrift store.

The prize is a pair of Five Bamboo Cropped Leggings. I've never tried their products before so I will be sure to post a review once I've given them a good workout. I'm so excited! What types of blogger giveaways have you won?

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Last night I did some cross training and used the rowing machine we have in our basement. This is the only piece of exercise equipment we have, and we inherited it from a relative. If I'm feeling lazy and don't want to go all the way to the gym for some cross training, I hop on this thing and watch an episode of Boardwalk Empire or Sex and the City. I'm still 3 or 4 episodes behind on Boardwalk Empire, but I'm catching up! I keep the resistance thing in the middle because I can't seem to determine what is easy and what is hard. The middle seems to work out just fine! I do this for an hour and it is a good workout for my shoulders and back. (P.S. don't mind our messy basement in the background)

This weekend I'm participating in a local 5k race, the Matteson Dash into the New Year. I haven't really talked about it much because I was so focused on the Frigid 5k and then Christmas happened. This is an inaugural race so it should be interesting. The course isn't posted on the website yet and the age groups are in sections of 10. A few of my friends and new blogger friends (RFP and TTF) are also doing it. I'm hoping it will be a fun race, if only for the company! I'll be typing up a full race recap afterwards.

Since I plan on running an actual 5k on New Years Eve anyways, I also found a virtual 5k from Daily Vitamin F that I plan on completing in hopes of winning some prizes! I did 2 virtual races for Christmas and they were a lot of fun. If you also plan on running a 5k, or would like an excuse to do one on New Years Eve, feel free to check it out! It is really simple to sign up, considering there is no signup at all! You don't have to have a blog to enter, you just print out the bib and post a photo of you with it. Easy peasy! What are your plans for New Years Eve? Are you running a race too?

I'm hoping to work from home today, and for the rest of the week and I'm pretty excited about it. We'll see how things go!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

In celebration of the Christmas holiday, I was off work on Monday. To celebrate, I went over to my dad's house for breakfast, tried to catch up on laundry, and was lazy. I spent most of the day wearing the Santa Snuggie we received in our random grab bag. Here are some more photos from our lovely Christmas Eve and morning!

I plan on wearing that all winter long.

Yes, my husband crosses his eyes in every photo

Family photo!

As you can tell, I'm obsessed with my dog. We got matching pajamas.

Normally I don't get home from work until 6:15 so I am never able to make the fun runs at Running for Kicks that start at 6 every Monday. However, I was able to make it out in time for my first run with the group. When I got there, I was acting shy as I didn't know anyone there and everyone seemed to know each other. Then Joe arrived and Amanda soon after. Because we run through the streets of Palos, I thought it would be fun to bring the pup and get in her run for the week as well. Special thanks to Judy for taking these photos!

Amanda and I ran the whole 4.35 miles together, with the dog as well in 41:57. She (the dog, not Amanda) had a rough first quarter mile (shocking, right?) with lots and lots of pulling (she wanted to run with the 7 min mile group apparently). After the group spread out a bit, we found our stride. As I'd like to take her to a race eventually, I want to try to get her used to running with a group while still listening to me. I figure the more we practice, the better she'll be! (We're going to try another attempt on Wednesday.) It was great running with Amanda again, post injury report. I'm getting excited for Christie Clinic training!! In the end, I was happy to turn a lazy Monday into a productive one, ending the day with a good run.

Now, it's back to work for the next few days. But I'm going to try to work from home Wednesday through Friday. My boss told me to use my discretion. Considering how slow and bored I already am (before 9am), that is the definite plan.

What types of workouts do you usually do on Mondays? Group runs? Cross training? Rest days? I usually like to start off the week with a weights workout, to start off the week "strong." (Pun intended.)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Friday I took another rest day to give my ankle a break. I took the day off of work and was able to finish all of my Christmas shopping by 9pm... Just in time for Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve morning I met up with the F'N runners for a virtual 10k. We were all asked to wear Christmas attire to get into the holiday spirit. I had a tough decision to make.

I ended up going with the white one. Considering the temperatures were in the 20s, I was verry happy to have had that vest. But, I don't know if my outfit was festive enough in the end...

We completed the 10k and even did a little more. We completed a total distance of 7.12 miles in 1:09 with an average pace of 9:37 including a stop at the turnaround, a stop to blow my nose, and several hills there and back. My ankle felt fine during the run which I was pretty happy about. It was a great run with some great folks!! We then met up at Starbucks to consume more of those calories we just burned off and exchanged and ate cookies. I must say, there are some fine bakers in the F'N Running Club!

Christmas Eve was full of some good news with my Aunt getting engaged! She is in her mid-50s and has never been married so we're pretty excited. It has been a long time in the making! Toph (the husband) and I exchanged gifts Christmas morning before going over to his parents house. I'm most excited about my gift certificate to Running for Kicks! I'm definitely going to use it to buy a new pair of shoes in January or February.

What was your favorite running/runnerd gift you received for Christmas? Mine was a running vest, complete with a reflective strip and pockets that zip.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Yesterday I continued my Christmas shopping on my lunch break and thankfully I am almost done! I'm debating taking off work on Friday since 1) no one will really be here and 2) I still have tons to do!

Last night I met up with my friend Sharon who is in town for Christmas from Florida. She is originally from the Chicago area but currently lives in Florida with her Air Force husband. She is not yet used to the Chicago weather and misses that Florida sunshine! Last time we hung out over the summer, we went out to dinner and then planned on going for a run together. She knew I was training for the marathon and I was her motivation to get out on the trail and get in some miles while in town. Now, it has become sort of a mini tradition for us to hang out and go for a run when she comes home. Last night was the continuation of this tradition as she came by around 6:30 (I just will never make a meeting with the F'N runners at 5pm) and we went for a 5 mile run with the pup.

Total Distance: 5 miles

Total Time: 48:22

Average Pace: 9:40

Total Moving Time: 47:21

Average Moving Pace: 9:28

I am kicking myself for not taking a photo of us together, so a picture of our stats will have to do!

The weather last night was gorgeous for a run, in the mid-low 40s. If any of you have ever run with a dog, you know that they mainly have 2 speeds. Super fast sprint and slow as molasses. Like me, Pepper (the dog) likes to start of really fast so it took a little while to get her into a steady pace. Once we got moving, about a 1/2 mile in, she finally got the hang of it and stopped trying to jump up in Sharon's face while also chewing her leash. Our splits were pretty consistent, all things considered, and we leisurely enjoyed looking at the Christmas lights. Towards the final stretch, all of a sudden Sharon says "There's another dog!" As I glance, an adorable bulldog starts running towards Pepper to greet her, across the street as a car is coming. Thankfully the car saw the dog and slowed down. The bulldog was friendly so it made the greeting much easier, but I felt bad as the owner comes running over and thanks us. We had to stop and make sure everything was okay, just as I hope any other dog owner would do if our dog did the same thing! Ironically, the bulldog had a "Bad to the Bone" dog collar, as the owner was dragging it across the street by its collar saying "Bad dog!" Since I'm a crazy dog person, I apologize if this is too long to be talking about a dog greeting, but I just had to share!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I slipped and fell on the trail during the last mile of our run last Saturday. I ran a 5k on Sunday and felt fine. However, during my run yesterday, my ankle started bothering me during the last mile. I ran through it since it wasn't severe and massaged it when I got home. I am now sitting at my desk, icing it in hopes that will make things better. It doesn't hurt when I walk or sit still but I don't want this to become an injury. I plan on using the foam roller on it today or tomorrow, and I plan on resting the next 2 days. I might do some cross training tomorrow, if there is time.

Now, I will leave you with a video of one of my favorite Christmas songs. I never get sick of it and HAVE to play it on full volume in my car. I'm not joking.

Do you have friends that you like to run with when they come to town? Who is your favorite running buddy? If you have a dog, do they run with you (and do you have the same pace issues as me)?

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Every year my work friends and I would meet up at the Chriskindle market in Chicago and eat a delicious potato pancake lunch. Yesterday was this glorious day. I looked forward to it all morning and it certainly lived up to expectations!

Potato pancake lunch (already ate 1 before I took this pic)

When I got home from work last night Toph (the husband) had made dinner. Fake meat chicken breast, grilled zucchini, and mac and cheese. It was delicious and totally hit the spot. After dinner we got in my car and drove around to look at Christmas lights. I had a few places I wanted to stop (such as Candy Cane Lane in Mokena and a few mansions in New Lenox). Then, we heard about the cool lights at Odyssey Fun World. "Cool" is an understatement. When you pull up, there is a sign telling you to change to a specific radio station. Yes, the lights then blink and correspond to the music! It was really awesome to watch and I highly recommend it to anyone that lives in the area. Even our dog stood still for 5 minutes to watch (I think she was just confused).

After dinner and our excursion, it was time to hit the gym. Since my weekend schedule was a little hectic, I did some weights and went for a run after. I tried a variation of the progression run I saw in RW.

I don't know if it was because I ran after lifting or the incline was too high (I usually run at 1.0 or 1.5. This time it was at 1.5) but those 2.25 miles seemed much harder than usual. I like the idea of a progression run though. With my race experience over the weekend where I started out too fast (and this is not the first time this has happened), I think this patience thing is something I need to work on. I shall try this workout again!

After the run, I decided to hop on the spin bike for a tune and do some workouts I remembered from spin class. I got through one song (David Guetta and Usher's "Without You") and decided I was tired and it was time to go home. When I got home I had just enough time to brush my teeth and go to bed before 10pm. I would consider that a productive day! Granted, the house is still a mess, laundry still needs to be done, the dog needs a bath, and I still have to buy Christmas presents.... but there are only so many hours in a day.

In other news, I received an email this morning from MarathonFoto telling me that all my Shamrock Shuffle race photos can be found in one place. Since my race photos are split between my married name and maiden name, I was pretty pumped to see the photos from my first Shamrock Shuffle in 2007 (still waiting to hear back about my 2008 photos). I don't know what was up with my hair that day/week/year, but these photos made me smile, big time.

How far back do you have race photos? Have your photos gotten better with age or worse? My race face is still the same! (Then: 2007, Now: 2011) Haha

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Yesterday I decided to take a rest day. My husband and I spent the night sitting on the couch, sharing a Red Baron pizza, watching Aladdin. I can't think of a more perfect evening, to be honest.

Since I've been posting a few recipes lately, I'll leave you with another one instead of a normal blog post. I absolutely love pot pies. They are my favorite thing in the whole world. A few weeks back I found a recipe online for pot pie pockets. On Sunday night, I whipped up these bad boys in less than a half hour (prep and baking). All you need is some crescent rolls (I keep several tubes of the seamless stuff on hand), can of vegetables, can of cream of mushroom soup, and meat. Since the husband is a vegetarian, I cooked up 2 fake chicken breasts to cut up and include as well. I spread out the dough and fill up the pockets until they can barely close (as opposed to following the specific portions on the recipe card). They baked for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Mine wasn't hot enough (I like my food scolding), but my husband thought the temperature was perfect.

Either way, this is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey and whip up if you're short on time. What's your favorite quick and easy recipe?

ALSO, if you're bored and looking for a laugh, send a call from Santa to all of your friends! Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 19, 2011

After a restful and relaxing Saturday night, I got up early for a busy Sunday. I started things off by driving to Lemont for their 3rd annual Frigid 5k. I met up with a few Yankee Runners that were there and got warmed up. The race only cost $20 if you registered in advance, and that included a hooded sweatshirt, race entry, and breakfast with Santa afterwards.

First, the hooded sweatshirt. I have a problem with shirts being too short in the arms after I wash them once, so I went with the size medium. The sweatshirt is really warm, so that is a plus. The "swag bag" didn't include any other goodies or coupons, just info on 2 other local races and an evaluation form. Kind of disappointing but for $20, I can't complain.

Next, the race itself. The course (map below) included 2 loops around the same area. This was a run/walk so the path got a bit confusing at times.

The volunteers didn't really know what they were doing. I ended up going the wrong way on part of the course, and I had to ask several times where I should go. The volunteers were only announcing things once every 6 or 7 runners. There could have been better signage or more vocal volunteers! This race wasn't chip timed and it appears that some folks finished the race after the 1st loop and messed with the scoring and ranking of others. Also, one guy was registered as a female so that also messed things up. It took over an hour after the last runner crossed the finish line to have the official results. Most of the gym had cleared so the only folks there to accept awards were those that thought they had won. Before I finish talking about the results, I want to talk about how the race went for me.

Sweet action shot

The clock started when the gun went off so we tried to get spots near the front. In a sea of high school cross country boys, I started off too fast (7:16). My next mile, I was still with the group and had some sharp turns (7:38).

The last mile I was all by myself with no one to compete against, and I went the wrong way for part of the way (7:42). I sprinted the end (6:42) and finished in 23:03 according to my Garmin. That is an average of 7:26 per mile and a new PR!!! My previous PR was 23:44, an estimated time from the Hot Chocolate 5k. This is a new PR and official! There are so many things I could have done better, and I'm still really happy with my time. Next goal is to break into the 22 min category (obvi).

Waiting with friends for the race results. Photo Credit: Wendy Jay

The age groups in this race were groups of ten-ish, therefore my age group was 19-29. I placed 2nd and received my 2nd age group award ever!

Photo Credit: Wendy Jay

2nd place!

Now that awards were over, it was time to have breakfast with Santa! We headed over to the recreation center across the parking lot. Upon arrival, there was still a good amount of food left and things were pretty delicious!

Apparently I don't know how to evenly pour syrup.

However, the runners were banished to a side room that did not include Santa! What is the point of having breakfast with Santa if we can't see him? Kind of dumb if you ask me. We did end up walking over to the next room and got our picture taken with Santa.

The real deal! Photo credit: Joe Werner

All things said and done, I do not plan on running this race next year. It was fun, but there are other events that are organized better. What was your worst race experience? How did you do in spite of things?

After the race, it was time to head to Soldier Field for the Bears game. The first half was really fun to watch, but the second half was beyond miserable to watch. I did have fun regardless, but games are always more fun when your team wins!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

After a really exhausting week, I decided to take Friday as another rest day. I haven't slept well in days, and I decided sleep was more important. On the plus side, when I came home on Friday, my Fuel Belt had arrived that I won from Run for Pi(e)'s giveaway!

I haven't gotten the chance to try it out yet, but I fully plan to on a day when it isn't raining or snowing. Speaking of snow, I met up with the FNRC this morning to run 8 miles. It was snowing when we started, but cleared up about 1.5 miles in. It was the first snowy run of the year!

Me, Maggie, and Diane

And I FINALLY got a chance to meet Maggie at RFP (photo credit), which I was pretty excited about. There was a really great group of 5 of us that all ran the same pace. It felt really good to run in the snow, an exciting glimpse into what will come in the weeks ahead!

Here is a picture of the trail, with more footprints on the way back than on the way out! There was one of us that completely wiped out. That someone was me. Susan, one of the other runners, said that "Kelly looked awesome on her landing. I give her a '10' for doing it with a smile!" I couldn't help but laugh-at least when I fall, I do it gracefully (if that is somehow possible??). Complete with wipeout, our total distance according to my Garmin was 7.97 miles in 1:18:07. Not too shabby considering the weather conditions! As the day went on, the temps went up and most of the snow was cleared. I really love running in the snow. What are your favorite running conditions to run in??

Right now I am watching the Polar Express and plan on going to bed early as I'm running a 5k in the morning. I was hoping to officially PR the course, but there are quite a few twists and turns so we'll see how it goes! There will be a few Yankee Runners in attendance, so that should be fun. I will take more pictures and post a race review tomorrow.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Last night I stayed at my cousin's place in the city (aka downtown Chicago). I got off of work and took the bus to her place. I got off to a slow start when I took the bus going the opposite direction and didn't realize it until I was about 10 minutes in. Oops! After I finally arrived, we attempted to go out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Big Star but they only accept cash. (Seriously, what decade is this that there are still places that ONLY accept cash??) With $3 in cash between the 2 of us, we opted for a different option. We drove around and found this cute little authentic place not far from her apartment. I forgot to take a picture of the food until it was 75% gone, and Mexican food remnants never look appetizing.

After dinner and a few glasses of Skinny Girl Margarita, we went out to a local bar for a drink.The bartender was extremely rude, but we had our drink and talked about running. My cousin ran the Chicago Marathon in 2008 and 2009 (missing BQ by 5 minutes in 2009). However, her running days are currently on hiatus pending possible knee surgery at some point in the future.

Here is a picture from her 2009 marathon - the part where they tell you to look up at the cameras. We (me, my cousin's roommate, and my cousin's dad) were all running together to support her, and the photographer was able to snap a picture of it all. As she's on hiatus and misses running, we don't talk about it too much. But last night after a few drinks, we were able to share some laughs and just talk leisurely about marathons, half marathons, and all the running inbetween.

I've been mentioning a lot of drinks from last night, so I'm struggling a little bit today. I'm exhausted from traveling to Memphis, and from staying up too late last night (watching Crazy Stupid Love). I'm hoping to fit in a 4 or 5 mile run today but we'll see how I feel. I'm contemplating leaving work early so I can get in my run and be in bed by 9pm. I haven't run since Tuesday night so I want to be sure to get the workout in before my 5k race on Sunday. How many days a week do you usually run? I did 4 during marathon training but now I'm down to 3.